Youth Lacrosse League Stucture & Breakdown

*This page contains general information about all of our different youth lacrosse leagues for both boys & girls*

General: The Utah Lacrosse Youth Leagues are grade based leagues, meaning the appropriate league a player is eligible to play for in a given season is determined by what grade the player is enrolled in during that season, and not determined by a players age. The breakdown of the leagues are as follows for both boys and girls:

Junior League:All players enrolled in the 7th or 8th grade.

Thunder League: All players enrolled in the 5th and 6th grade.

Lightning League: All players enrolled in the 3rd and 4th grade.

Storm League: All players enrolled in Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

What team/program should I register for?

The boys and girls youth leagues teams/programs largely stem down through the affiliated high school lacrosse programs. Players are to register, and eligible to play, for the team/program that corresponds to the public high school boundaries in which they live. If your school/area does not have a lacrosse program players are then placed on the next closest team/program in the league. You may contact the office if you have questions about the next closest program, and/or visit the "team pages" section of the website to view all of the current teams/programs in each league (use the 3 dropdown menus to select (1) season (2) league/age-group (3)team/program)

US Lacrosse Membership:ALL players must have a current and valid US Lacrosse membership in order to participate in any league activities (practice and/or games). These are 1 year memberships that act as secondary insurance for any injuries incurred during team lacrosse activities.A palyers membership may not expire until after the end date of any given season. Note: membership includes a 12 month, monthly, subscription to Lacrosse Magazine!

League Specific Information: This section contains a further breakdown and description of each youth lacrosse league

Junior & Thunder Leagues: These two leagues are further divided into 3 separate divisions for boys and 2 separate divisions for the girls, and has been done so to provide a more diverse array of lacrosse opportunities more specific to all players, of all skill levels and experience. Coaches are to assess the skill level of their team(s) and notify the league of which of the three divisions their team should be placed in, in accordance with league policies. Programs with more than 1 team (minimum 16 players per team) at the Junior & Thunder age group will decide how their players are divided amongst each of their teams based on which division they will participate in (see below for more details on each division).

Division (I, II, II) Descriptions:

Division I: The most competitive of the 3 divisions, and contains playoffs and championship. Teams are largely comprised of, but not limited to, those players who are the most dedicated, hardest working, most experienced (1-2+ years), strong stick skills and exhibit excelled athleticism.

*Generally most travel required for those teams in this division*

Division II: Competitive division containing playoffs and championship. Teams are largely comprised of dedicated, hardworking, developing players with good stick skills who are relatively new to the sport with little, and sometimes no, lacrosse experience.

Division III (boys only): Developmental division with limited playoffs and championship, but contains an All-Star game in which coaches of all DIII teams select their best and most improved players to attend. Teams are largely comprised of dedicated and hardworking players generally brand new to the sport. Coaches emphasize teaching core fundamentals of the sport from throwing and catching to the rules of the game.

*Getting better, learning, and having fun! are the central components for EVERY LEAGUE*